Spry Leonard posts double-double

Despite his youth, the rookie from San Diego State has a much better understanding of life in the NBA after enduring his first back-to-back-to-back over the last three days.

“It’s definitely tiring on your body, playing three games in a row, competing and going hard,” Leonard said. “You feel it.”

Even playing in his third game in three nights, Leonard responded Sunday with his fourth career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds to help lead the Spurs to a 93-76 victory over Philadelphia.

That wear and tear didn’t manifest itself as Leonard produced seven points and seven rebounds in the second half.

The springy small forward was a prime protagonist in a team defensive effort that produced a season-high 14 steals and limited the Sixers to 27 points in the second half — a low for a Spurs opponent this season.

Sitting duck?: Although he wasn’t in uniform, Tim Duncan still was an active and vociferous participant from the bench.

Duncan picked up his third technical foul of the season after arguing with referee Josh Tiven when Manu Ginobili appeared to be fouled late in the second quarter. It came after lead official Joey Crawford, a long-time protagonist of Duncan, had told both teams to quit arguing about calls.

The Spurs captain was laughing after the call was made and didn’t seem to take umbrage after receiving the technical.

Ginobili said he was happy for the support from Duncan, although he didn’t think Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was as supportive.

“I appreciated it,” Ginobili said. “I think Pop didn’t. But it’s good when you see your franchise player, even when he’s not playing, stick with his team and support and cheer for them. He’s a great leader, and we respect that.”

Green feeling blue: Spurs guard Danny Green still remains close to the North Carolina basketball program. So it was understandable he was feeling a little Tar Heel bluer than normal after his alma mater lost in the finals of the Midwest Region to Kansas.

His ire was intensified when Spurs general manager R.C. Buford, a former Kansas assistant coach, stopped by his locker room after the game and wanted to know if he could use his room reservations next weekend in New Orleans for the Final Four.

“I’m a little disappointed how it turned out,” Green said about North Carolina’s loss. “I want to go home and check the tape out. It’s a tough way to end the season.”

Duncan older than dirt: The Spurs’ stat crew got a zinger in at Duncan, listing that he didn’t suit up for the game with a unique cause.

Popovich had planned to rest Duncan after playing back-to-back games against Dallas and at New Orleans the previous two nights.

But it still made several of his teammates laugh when they saw the official box score that listed Duncan as “DND (did not dress) — OLD.”

Thrice as nice: The Spurs made some history with the back-to-back-to-back wins. It marked the first time the team has won three games in three nights since the final three games of a four-game, four-night set March 29-31, 1978.

And it marked the first sweep of a three-game, three-night set since Feb. 9-11, 1978.